On May 19, neighbors in Palmetto Bay were alarmed when they heard the screaming of birds. When they rushed outside they saw a man roughly grabbing Muscovy ducks and throwing them into crowded cages on his truck. Children who witnessed the scene were terrified.

The man, Andres Canova, operating as Xpress Trappers, is notorious for his cruel treatment of ducks. In recent years he has trapped ducks in cities across South Florida. (Canova recently began a new business targeting iguanas called The Iguana Guy.)

When confronted, Canova often repeats one of a series of lies: that he has permission or has been hired by the city, that the ducks are being removed to be tested for disease, or that the ducks will be relocated. The sad truth is that the trapped ducks are almost certainly killed.

This week in Palmetto Bay, Canova was not only removing ducks from private property without permission, but he was in violation of the village’s bird refuge ordinance. Thankfully, quick-thinking residents took photographs, wrote down the truck’s tag number, and called the police. Canova was cited for trespassing.

Despite the minor penalty, it is encouraging that this time Andres Canova was not allowed to do his dirty business and escape consequences.

You Can HelpIf you witness a trapper cruelly removing Muscovy ducks, or you suspect that the trapper is trespassing on private property, please document the incident (photos and/or video) and call the police. Contact ARFF as well.

Is your city a bird refuge? Many cities in Florida have been designated bird refuges or sanctuaries. Such designations can offer protection against individuals who treat Muscovy ducks cruelly or capture ducks for profit. If your city is not a bird sanctuary, contact your city commission and urge them to consider adding this important protection for birds (contact ARFF, we can help).

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, Action for Primates and One Voice have received an anonymous tip alleging that Primate Products, a Florida-based importer and supplier of non-human primates to the research industry, has been in contact with a French aviation company, CS Aviation, regarding 1,200 long-tailed macaques it wants to transport from Mauritius to Miami for sale to a laboratory. CS Aviation has agreed to take this on and has enlisted SkyBus Air Cargo to carry out the transport of these primates.

The international trade in primates for research inflicts great cruelty and suffering on these highly intelligent and sensitive animals; including their capture from the wild, their forced captivity in unnatural conditions on farms, the forced early separation of a female from her infant, their transportation in the cargo holds of airplanes and their eventual fate in the research laboratory. During transportation, primates will suffer stress and anxiety while forced to endure extremely long journeys. Packed in small crates in the cargo hold, they may be subjected to delays, inadequate ventilation, noise and extreme temperature fluctuations. Over the years, a number of incidents have taken place where these animals have suffered greatly or have died during transportation on airlines.

Please contact CS Aviation and SkyBus Air Cargo and urge them to refuse to be associated with the cruelty and suffering involved in the international trade in primates for research.

“Dear CS Aviation:Please do not organize the transportation of primates for the research industry, especially a pending shipment of 1,200 long-tailed macaques from Mauritius to Miami with the cargo carrier Skybus Air Cargo.

The transportation of primates by airlines is an issue that attracts strong public concern and opposition, as well as negative media coverage. As a result, many reputable airlines and cargo carriers, including American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines, South African Airways, Delta Airlines, Eva Air, Air Canada and China Airlines, have made the decision to dissociate themselves from the cruelty and suffering of the international trade in primates by refusing to transport primates destined for the research industry.

I strongly urge CS Aviation to refuse to be a broker for the transport of primates, thereby dissociating itself from this highly controversial and cruel trade.”

“Dear SkyBus Air Cargo:Please do not transport primates destined for the research industry, in particular a shipment of 1,200 primates from Mauritius to Miami that has been organized through CS Aviation.

The transportation of primates by airlines is an issue that attracts strong public concern and opposition, as well as negative media attention. As a result, many reputable airlines and cargo carriers, including American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines, South African Airways, Delta Airlines, Eva Air, Air Canada and China Airlines, have made the decision to dissociate themselves from the cruelty and suffering of the international trade in primates by refusing to transport primates destined for the research industry.

I strongly urge SkyBus Air Cargo to refuse to transport primates, thereby dissociating itself from this highly controversial and cruel trade.”